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A powerful militia known for smuggling people from Libya is seeking legitimacy from the Tripoli government in exchange for preventing migrant boats from leaving the country, a senior group member has said.

Italy yesterday received 87 Libyan navy and coastguard personnel as part of a European training programme aimed at improving Libya’s capabilities to combat smuggling and human trafficking across the Mediterranean.

Libya’s coastguard has rescued more than 3,000 migrants aiming to cross the Mediterranean to Europe in the past week, while Italy picked up another 2,000 in recent days, official and reports said on Sunday.

Refugees and migrants are dying in the Mediterranean at a quicker rate than last year, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported, as rights groups raise alarm over abusive conditions in Libya – now the main country of departure.

Libya’s coastguard rescued nearly 500 migrants on Tuesday at sea west of the capital Tripoli, a spokesman said, underlining the challenge of trying to slow an exodus from Africa and the Middle East, Reuters reported.

The Libyan Navy Force has intercepted a Liberian-flagged oil tanker (Levante) near the Tunisian waters, according to sources from the naval force. 20 Filipino crewmembers were detained by the Libyan Navy in what the Libyan naval authorities saw as a smuggling attempt.

The Libyan coastguard has arrested an oil tanker and taken it to Tripoli on suspicion of trying to smuggle oil out of the country. The vessel is reported to be the Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged, Levante.

Europe will be increasingly at risk from terrorists posing as migrants unless western capitals help Libya to stem the numbers crossing the Mediterranean, the country’s prime minister has told The Times.